Device for preventing the refilling of bottles.



PATENTBD JULY 18, 1905B M. J. SEGAL. DEVICE POR PREVENTING THE REFILLINGOP BOTTLES.

APPLwA'TIoN rmzn JUNE 21, 1904.

Patented July 18, 1905.

iU'iTnn STaTns FaTnNT TTTcr.,

MORRIS J. SEGAL, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

DEVICE FOR PREVENTING THE REFILLING OF BOTTLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,173, dated July 18,1905.

Application filed June Z7, 1904. Serial No. 214,320.

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS J. SEGAL, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota,have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Preventing theRelilling of Bottles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices forpreventing the refilling of bottles, and it belongs to that class ofdevices of this character in which a weight is employed to close asuitable valve upon an attempt being made to refill the receptacle. Theobject of the invention is to provide a simple attachment that can bereadily applied to the bottle and which when so applied virtuallybecomes a part of the receptacle.

A further object is to so construct and ar-v range the parts comprisingthe device that it will be impossible to get at the means for preventingrefilling to hold the same inoperative, as is possible with many devicesof this character claiming the advantages of being nonreiillalole.

A still further object is to so construct the device that it will beimpossible for objectionable foreign substance to enter the same whenopen and, further, to provide a simple'means for opening and closing thebottle.

Other objects looking toward the simplifi-b cation and improvement ofthese devices will become apparent in the course of the followingdescription, and the points of novelty will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings illustratingthe invention, Figure l is an elevation ofmy improved device attached to a bottle. Fig. 2 is a central verticalsection of the device and a portion of the bottle. Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2, showing the bottle tilted with the parts in positionto permit the contents to iow out of the bottle. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the cage for holding the valve and ball; and Fig'. 5 is avertical sectional view of a slightlymodified form of the invention,showing the device in the neck of the bottle.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l represents what I willhereinafter refer to as a `casingj7 which is cylindrical and preferablymade of porcelain and provided with a closed top 2, an annulardepression 3 near its top, and a plurality of openings for the passageout of the bottle of the contents thereof. Seated in this annulardepression is an annulus 5, made, preferably, of metal and provided witha series of openings 6, corresponding to those in the casing and adaptedto register with them when the ring is turned, so as to permit thecontents to flow out of the bottle. To make a perfectly tight and snugfit between the annulus and the wall of the casing, I preferably employa gasket 0r packing-ring 7 of some compressible material. The lower endof the casing is open andprovided internally near this lower end with anannular groove 8, which comes opposite to a similar groove 9, formed inthe upper portion 10 of the bottle 11, which upper portion is rabbetedto form a shoulder 12, upon which rests the lower edge of the casing. Toattach this casing to the bottle, I preferably employ some insoluble andheat-resisting cement, as indicated by the numeral 13, which is appliedin a plastic condition and hardens between the bottle and casing and inthe groove mentioned, thus forming a lock of such strength that toremove the casing would necessitate the breakage of the bottle orcasing.

The numeral 14 designates a cage which fits into the casing and iscentered at its top by a disk 15, confined in the top of the casing andprovided with a central opening 16 for the reception of the upper end ofthe cage, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. I preferably form thiscage in the, shape of a truncated cone of some light non-corroding andnon-oxidizing material, such as aluminium, and provide it peripherallywith a series of narrow slots 17, formed by cutting out the metal toform a series of strips 18, loose at their sides and lower ends, butremaining integral with the cone at their upper ends. These strips areslightly bowed out, as shown, for the passage of the liquid contents ofthe bottle, but are so arranged that should an attempt be made with aninstrument to reach the interior of the cage the strips would moveinwardly and close the slots. The bottom of the cage is formed by adisk. 19, formed of any suitable material and sprung into a shallowannular groove 2O in the lower portion IOO of the casing. This diskalsoforms a seat for the valve 21, which in conjunction with theball-weight 22 operates inside of' the cage for the purpose of openingor closing the passage 23 in the disk 19 to permit the contents of thebottle to flow out or to prevent the passage of liquid into the bottle.

In assembling the parts the cage and centering-disk are put into thecasing and the valve and ball dropped therein. The disk 19 is sprunginto place, when the device will be ready to attach to the bottle in themanner hereinbefore disclosed.

In the modification, Fig. 5, the casing is put inside the bottle-neckand held therein either by a suitable cement or by heating the glass ofthe neck of the bottle and inserting the casing and suddenly cooling thebottle, which cooling will contract the glass around the casing, forminga tight lock, which cannot be broken without breaking' or destroying thebottle or casing.

I may provide the top of the casing with any suitable number of openingsfor the passage of the contents out of the bottle; but I preferablyprovide it with four so disposed that two will serve as passages for thebottle contents and the other two as vents, thus assuring the freepassage of the liquid out of the bottle.

l/Vhen it is desired to pour out of the bottle, the annulus or ring 5 isturned until the openings therein register with those in the casing andthe bottle tilted sufciently to cause the ball and valve to move towardthe top of the cage, as shown in Fig. 3, thus permitting the contents ofthe bottle to pass th rough the opening in the disk 19 and slots 17 inthe cage and through the openings in the top of the casing.

Any attempt to refill the bottle by the use of pressure would not onlyseat the valve, but close the slots or openings 17, with the strips 18,and further tampering with the valve to hold the same inoperative isrendered impossible by reason of the closing of the slots, which wouldbe occasioned by the introduction of an instrument.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself in any particularwith regard to the material of which this device or its parts will bemade, it being understood that the material best suited for thedifferent purposes will be employed.

I claim- 1. A device of the character described, comprising a casing andmeans for attaching the same to a bottle-neck, said casing having itslower end open and provided with openings for the passage of thecontents out of' the bottle, a valve adapted to close the lower openingand a weight to seat the valve, and a cage fitting in said casing formedwith a series of slots therein to permit the passage of the liquid outof the bottle, and devices which,

while permitting the passage of the liquid through the cage will closesaid slots upon an attempt to reach the interior of said cage,substantially as described.

` 2. Adevice of the character described, comprising a casing closed atits upper end and open at its lower end, means for securing the casingto the bottle, said casing being provided near its upper end withopenings to permit the passage of the contents of the bottle out of thecasing, and means for normally closing said openings, aweight-controlled valve controlling the lower opening, and a cage insaid casing and Jformed with a series of' partially-covered slots,substantially as described.

3. A device for preventing the refilling of bottles, comprising a casingclosed at its upper end and open at its lower end, said casing beingprovided with a plurality of openings in its wall, an annulus fittingaround said casing and having openings therein adapted to register withthe openings in the casing to permit the passage of the contents of thebottle out of the casing, a weight-controlled valve adapted to controlthe opening in the lower portion of the casing, and a cage fitting insaid casing and formed with a series of' partially-covered slotstherein, substantially as described.

1. In adevice for preventing the refilling of bottles, the combinationwith a bottle-neck, a casing adapted to lit over said neck, means forsecuring the casing to the neck, said casing being provided with anopening through its lower portion, a closed top, and openings in itswall for the passage of liquid out of the bottle, means for normallyclosing said openings, a weight-controlled valve controlling the loweropening, and a cage in said casing provided peripherally withpartiallycovered slots, substantially as described.

5. In a device for preventing the refilling of bottles, the combinationwith a casin g, of means 'for attaching it to the bottle-neck, saidcasing being closed at its upper end and having openings in its Wall forthe passage of the contents out of the bottle, a disk in the lowerportion of said casing having an opening therethrough, a cage fitting insaid casing and having a series of partially covered slots therein, aweight-controlled valve in said cage for controlling the opening in thedisk, and a movable annulus surrounding the upper portion of the casingandhaving openings therein which when brought into registry with theopenings in the casing, will permitthe liquid to be poured out of' thebottle.

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MORRIS J SEGAL. Witnesses:

S. BUKsoN, VICTOR RoHN.

IOO

